


The Enchanted Bean

by glindalovesshoes



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, coffeeshopAU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29443365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glindalovesshoes/pseuds/glindalovesshoes
Summary: When Granny had announced her retirement and that someone else was taking over her diner, Regina took it as a matter of personal offense. Little did she know the new owner would rock her world./ OutlawQueen/LoveFromOQ
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21
Collections: Love From OQ





	The Enchanted Bean

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY everyone!
> 
> In this year's LoveFromOQ I was lucky to be the Secret Admirer of the lovely Anam.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this lovely Sunday with someone special or just treating yourself to something special. One thing is for sure, everyone who reads this deserves ALL the love.
> 
> On this note, a big big thank you goes to Tara and Allie for betaing. You girls are amazing.
> 
> Enjoy!

**The Enchanted Bean**

When Granny’s diner closed three months ago, the city of Storybrooke had fallen into a deep sense of despair. It had been _the_ go-to place for coffee in the mornings, lunch around midday and dinner in the evenings. While most customers agreed that she didn’t serve the best food in town and that her coffee was, well, good but not great, Granny’s diner has always had a certain charm about it: a moment of nostalgia, frozen in time, with nothing ever changing, not even the daily special. While over the past couple of decades the rest of Storybrooke had given way to the hustle bustle of grand city architecture, busy streets and multi-million-dollar investors, the old lady’s diner had been a constant to those who remembered the old days of Storybrooke.

Once the word had got out that Granny was selling, potential buyers tumbled over themselves to be the first to talk to her and to charm her into various throat-cutting contracts. The diner’s location was perfect: located on Main Street where all the big companies resided, close to Central Station and just a short walk away from Grand Fairy Park.

Granny, however, had given into none of them. Apparently, she already deemed someone worthy enough to take on her legacy. The identity of the new owner, however, was one of Storybrooke’s best-kept secrets.

Regina Mills, star designer of the new up-and-coming fashion label _Le Feu_ has always counted herself a regular at Granny’s diner. To Regina, Granny’s diner was more than just a diner. It was memories of burgers and milkshakes with her late father and her first job as waitress after she came back from the fashion academy in Paris. It was the place where Mal Firestone, founder, and owner of _Le Feu_ , had discovered Regina’s talent when she was doodling on a napkin and hired her on the spot. From there on, it was every morning coffee and many lunch breaks. Thus, when Granny had announced her retirement and that someone else was taking over, Regina took it as a matter of personal offense.

A day before the grand opening of _The Enchanted Bean_ – a ridiculous name if you asked Regina – she passed the former diner on her daily commute to _Le Feu_. Over the past few weeks, she’s not stopped once in front of the old diner, too upset to see the place completely dismantled and refurbished. For some reason though, Regina halted in front of the new ivy arch entrance laced with fairy lights, taking in the décor.

“The opening is tomorrow,” someone beside her said. Startled, Regina looked up to see a tall, blond man right beside her, smiling friendly at her. Well hello there.

It took her a moment to respond as her eyes wandered up his chest and finally rested on his face. A hint of well-trimmed scruff framed his smile and oh god, his eyes! She could swear she detected a British accent when he spoke earlier. Calm yourself, Regina and stop acting like a teenager for God’s sake.

Was he one of Granny’s regulars too? Surely she would remember seeing him around. But then Storybrooke had grown so much in the past decades that it was impossible to know everyone. Yes, there still were those families whose ancestors had founded the town back in the eighteenth century, however, nowadays it was possible to live in anonymity.

“Yeah. Granny has left behind a legacy, so good luck to the new owner,” Regina answered. 

“I’m sure he is aware that people miss Granny’s, but don’t you think he deserves a chance?” There was a bit of humor in his voice, making her wonder why this guy thought he needed to defend the new place when everyone just knew Granny’s was and always would be the best there is.

Regina laughed a little, pointing out the entrance.

“If the new owner thinks a bit of instagrammable modern décor, plants and fairy lights will make up for bad coffee, then sure.”

“Well now you wound me, Milady. I can assure you my coffee tastes quite good.” He grinned and held out his hand. “Robin Locksley. The new owner of _The Enchanted Bean_ and Granny’s great-nephew.”

Regina stared at him, cheeks blushing furiously. Damn her and her big mouth.

“I’m sorry, I had no idea that you…”

“Don’t worry about it. I asked for your opinion after all. In fact, I’ve done so with various passerbys for the past week and most of them are still upset Granny retired. She wanted the diner to stay in the hands of family though, so I’m glad for the opportunity,” Robin admitted.

“I had no idea. She should have told people that the business will be taken over by you.”

Robin sighed and shrugged. “I know but I didn’t want her to. Granny has done so much for me and I wanted to start on a blank slate. Still, I didn’t think people would be so biased in the end, legacy and all that…”

“I shouldn’t have been so rude in the first place,” Regina apologized once more. “Is your coffee really that good?”

“Why don’t you be the judge of that, Milady, and come over to the opening tomorrow.”

If he smiles at her like this, how could she ever say no?

“You know what, Mr. Locksley? I think I just might.”

“It’s Robin. Please.”

“Regina Mills. I used to work at Granny’s, you know.”

“This explains where your bias comes from,” he quipped, grinning.

“Perhaps. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“I can’t wait.”

She smiled and left with a flutter in her stomach. Perhaps Robin Locksley is not the worst thing that could have happened to Granny’s former diner. And maybe, _The Enchanted Bean_ was not as stupid a name as she first thought it to be.

Xxxxxxx

The next morning, Regina may or may not have left her apartment ten minutes early in order to pop into _The Enchanted Bean_. What she did not count on, however, was the fact that the queue for coffee went all the way down Main Street around the block between Gold & Spencer as well as Hatter & Co. What the hell? A quick glance at her phone confirmed that she did not have time to wait in the queue, as her meeting with Mal and the head of the advertising department for the upcoming fall collection was to take place in half an hour. 

So, Regina passed the queue with a feeling of disappointment and went on her way without her morning coffee.

The meeting took longer than expected, since Ursula had proposed a completely different advertising concept for the new collection which had left Mal sceptic at best and Ursula with three days to convince Mal that her idea was worth a shot. On the way down to Regina’s atelier, Ursula practically pleaded with Regina to talk to Mal, yet she had long since learned to stick to her designs and not get mixed up between her friends’ disputes.

“It’s a good concept and you know it.”

“Ursula, you know how she is…”

“Which is why I need your help. You know that _Wicked Wear_ is copying all our latest ideas and I am sure they will use a similar template to our summer collection for their fall wear.”

_Wicked Wear_. Of course. The sole thought of them made Regina’s blood boil relentlessly. Not only did they copy _Le Feu_ ’s advertising concepts, no, it happened that several of Regina’s designs had popped up in their last spring and summer collection.

“I know _Wicked Wear_ is a problem. Maybe this should be your approach? Convince Mal that we need to reinvent ourselves, so our customers realize our fashion is worth its prices. Of course, our customers do not want to buy designer fashion for triple the price when they see the average person wearing a cheap version from _Wicked Wear_. We need to give them exclusive designs and make them feel special,” Regina said.

“And this is exactly what I need you to tell Mal, so she will give me the go ahead.”

“Fine, I’ll talk to her.”

“That’s all I wanted. See you later, darling.”

Regina watched Ursula leave and sat down in her chair exhausted. It was past twelve already and she didn’t yet have coffee, much less breakfast. Her eyes fell on the sketches from last night which in the light of day looked even worse than she would have thought.

Annoyed, she crumpled the sheets of paper and threw them into the bin underneath her desk. This was a disaster. The designs needed to be ready by the end of next week and so far, she couldn’t think of anything. Sighing, she rubbed her cheeks and suddenly found her assistant walking toward her with a cup of coffee and a brown paper bag in hand.

Bless Tink. Bless her!

“Regina! Why did you throw these away?” Tink almost yelled before she set the cup of coffee down on her desk. “Here, this was just delivered for you downstairs.”

“They sucked,” Regina mumbled before she picked up the white cup with black lettering: _The Enchanted Bean_. Scribbled underneath was a phone number. “Who did you say delivered this?”

“Some guy. Tall, blond, good looking. They called me downstairs because you were still in the meeting with Mal. How did it go?” Tink wanted to know, yet Regina’s mind was elsewhere.

“Did he say what his name was?”

“Ryan, I think? Maybe Robert?”

“Robin?” Her heartbeat quickened.

“Yeah. Why? Wait – oh my God, Regina do you have a secret admirer?” 

Her cheeks blushed. “He can’t be secret if I know his name, can he?”

Carefully, Regina took a sip from the cup, surprised to find the coffee at a comfortable temperature to drink. The rich taste felt like an explosion to her tastebuds, with little bitterness and – was that a hint of chocolate?

“Oh God, this is heaven.”

“Why would _The Enchanted Bean_ send you coffee when you are basically leading the protest? Weren’t you the one who said she would never ever set a foot into the new coffee shop?”

“Well, someone changed my mind,” Regina admitted smiling while taking another sip of coffee. Heaven. Absolute _heaven_.

“And this _someone_ is this… Robin person?”

“Yes. I met him yesterday in front of the diner. He’s Granny’s great-nephew, you know. She wanted the diner to stay with family, so she sold it to him.”

She sat down the cup of coffee onto her desk and opened the brown paper bag which contained a delicious-looking pain au chocolat, a godsend for her empty stomach. Tink continued to bombard her with questions regarding her meeting with Robin, but she waved her aside.

“There’s nothing to tell. Don’t you have work to do, Tink?”

“If he personally brought you coffee and a croissant over on _opening day_ , you must have made a long lasting impression on him.”

“Shoo!” Regina laughed, waving her hand at Tink.

“Just saying!”

Just after Tink left, Regina took the pain au chocolat out of the bag and took the first bite. The buttery-flaky dough, the molten rich chocolate – dark, her favorite – she felt like she was back in Paris in her favorite little café right downstairs next to her tiny one-bedroom apartment.

Without thinking, she licked her fingers, took a piece of sketch paper as well as her pens and began to draw. Paris. Chocolate. Petite Cafés. Walking down the Champ Elysees surrounded by the golden colors of fall. Cozy sweater dresses paired with over-knee boots. Layered outfits which reminded her of fallen leaves and walks along the Seine.

Every sketch felt more exciting than the last and Regina felt like she was telling a story. Funny, how a sip of coffee and a little taste of pastry could transport her all the way back to Paris.

Xxxxx

The afternoon passed in a blur and it was well past eight when Regina realized the time. Tink had gone home an hour ago and so had most of her colleagues. Proudly, she looked over to the working table in the center of the atelier, where most of her sketches laid spread out with little bits and pieces of fabric attached.

Of course, she would have to present them to Mal in the morning, but for the first time in weeks she felt like she was onto something good here and surely Mal would see that. Happily, she put down her pen and with one last look at the working table, grabbed her trench coat and purse before she turned off the lights and left.

In comparison to this morning, there was only a small queue in front of _The Enchanted Bean_. The place was crowded nonetheless with people waiting outside for tables to be cleared. Regina snuck inside and was met with the smell of roasted beans.

The former diner looked completely different from what she remembered: The booths and tables were gone and replaced with wooden tables and comfortable leather seats on both sides of the former diner. The bar was now at the back so customers had to go all the way in. The 60s theme was completely gone and instead, potted plants, wooden paneling as well as twines of ivy were hanging down from the walls and ceiling. It reminded Regina a little bit of a modern fairy forest, disrupted by clean lines in order to not feel too kitschy.

“Regina!” Someone called in front of her. Robin popped around the counter, dressed in dark jeans, a green shirt and a black apron with the _Enchanted Bean_ logo flocked onto it. A white towel was casually slung over his shoulder. He looked rumpled and exhausted yet happy to see her.

For some reason her stomach fluttered at the picture he presented in front of her.

“I didn’t think you’d still come.”

“Coffee,” she blurted out.

Robin looked at her confused for a mere second.

“You want a cup of coffee?”

“Yes. No! I wanted to say thank you for the coffee. This morning – I was in a meeting and my assistant told me…”

“Oh that,” Robin laughed embarrassed, “I just – I asked Granny about you and she told me you were working at this fashion firm and when you didn’t show up, I…”

“The queue!” Regina said. What the hell was happening to her? For some reason she had lost the ability to speak like a normal person.

“The queue,” Robin repeated, and they just stared at each other. 

“Oi, Robin! Get your ass over here, the sandwiches for table fourteen are done,” a rather heavy-looking man called over from behind the counter. Robin turned around and then back to Regina, torn on what to do.

“You’re busy and it’s your opening day. I don’t want to keep you,” she said. What did she think was going to happen? Him sitting down with her over a hot cup of coffee? Robin had a business to run and she was standing here in the middle of his coffee shop like an idiot.

“No! I mean… If you need to leave then yes, but we close at nine thirty. I know that’s still over an hour to go but – uhm – would you maybe wait?”

“I would love to stay.”

“Thank God! I mean… would you like some coffee? A sandwich?”

“Both sounds good.”

“Which…?”

“Surprise me,” she simply said and sat down at a recently cleared table.

“Surprise coming right up,” Robin grinned relieved before he headed back toward the bar.

Regina watched him work alongside his colleague. They seemed a good team and got things done quickly. She caught him shooting her a couple of stolen glances from time to time which she blushingly avoided.

This time, she received a cappuccino with a cute heart made of cocoa powder alongside a clubhouse sandwich which tasted just as special as the beverage and pastry she received this morning. Despite her previous bias, Regina had to admit Robin’s food and coffee were better than Granny’s, this was for sure. This quality in this location here on main street would surely turn out to be a gold mine for him in the long run.

Regina enjoyed her meal and watched as the coffee shop slowly emptied. Robin kept the shop open fifteen minutes longer as a group of young adults popped in just before closing to grab some coffee.

Finally, at quarter to ten, Robin was able to lock the door and turn the _open_ sign around to _closed_ with a deep sigh.

“Congrats on the first day,” Regina smiled as he sat down in front of her.

“I didn’t think it was going to be this good after all the negative comments we received beforehand,” he admitted. “Thanks so much for coming by and for waiting. You must be tired after the day you had.”

“Actually… I must confess your coffee and pain au chocolat this morning turned out to be very inspiring. So thank you again for coming over. I wish I could have come down myself, but like I said, I was in a meeting and I had no idea you were coming.”

“I hope you don’t think I stalked you –“

“No! No, I’d never think that,” Regina assured him. “It was very sweet and came at just the right moment. Again, I would have come in this morning, but the queue was so long, and I had to make it to work in time.”

Robin nodded understandingly.

“If you’d like, I could have your order ready tomorrow morning and you can jump the queue to pick it up.”

“Do you offer this to all your new customers?” Regina asked teasingly.

“Just the very special ones. See you tomorrow morning?”

“Eight thirty?”

“Would you like it to be a surprise?”

“Everything but tuna.”

“Everything but tuna at eight thirty tomorrow,” Robin grinned.

They got up and quickly bid their goodbyes. Regina wanted to pay, yet he refused because he’d been the one to ask her to stay initially. So instead of paying him directly, she put a twenty dollar note into the tip jar at the cash register.

As she stepped through the ivy arch lit by fairy lights and turned around one last time only to find Robin still staring at her with a soft smile on his face. He waved quickly before heading back toward the bar, leaving her with a feeling of positive excitement for his little breakfast surprise tomorrow.

TBC


End file.
